European number one Fleetwood was certainly impressed, adding: “He hit this little fade into that pin and I haven’t got that shot! I said to him ‘Can you teach me?’ and then Rory said we both need it.

“Both of us couldn’t just hold one into that pin, it was middle of the green at best for us.

“He was brilliant wasn’t he? It surprised us all when he hit this little buttery 3-wood into that pin – great shot.”

McIlroy added: “Oscar lives here (in Abu Dhabi) but he’s from Northern Ireland. He’s been following me since the 2011 US PGA in Atlanta and every round I play here I feel like he’s my little mascot.

“I was a little surprised to see him on the tee there, I didn’t expect him to be inside the ropes today but it was good fun and he hit a great shot. He’s got a really, really good little swing so one for the future.”